The first winter storm of the season hit the southeast last week and with it came hazardous road conditions. Snowplow driver Robert Dolinski spoke at a Highway Hotline press event on Friday. He says it's satisfying to be on the roads after a snowfall while others wait out the bad conditions.
“At the end of the day, it's satisfying. To be able to make the roads safer for the public and, of course, all our families.”
He explains that the most important thing to remember while sharing the road with snowplows is to stay back and give lots of space saying, “we need a lot of room to do our job”.
He also mentions the dangers of passing a plow on the right, reflecting on his own experiences.
“No one expects to be passed on the right. Especially in a snowplow, when you have that equipment to deploy, when we put our wing out, that's an extra 12 feet of truck. It's taking up almost two lanes. The danger of passing on the right, it's a humongous danger to do that, especially with a snowplow.”
“My biggest concern was for that person to get past me safely. Stay in my lane, do what I'm doing and don't panic them. And, you know, hope that they can get by and get down the road safely.”
He also notes the Track My Plow feature on Highway Hotline, as it allows motorists to know which routes are being cleared and where plows are located across the province.